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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26628982">Reunion Weekend</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wander_Girl/pseuds/Wander_Girl'>Wander_Girl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Getaway Weekend, Rampion Crew Girls, the lunar chronicles - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:20:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,231</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26628982</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wander_Girl/pseuds/Wander_Girl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Scarlet has a major break up after dating a guy for four years, so her friends, Cinder, Winter, Cress and Iko, leave their lives in between to come to her rescue and cheer her up by taking her to a getaway weekend to NYC.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Up, now!” Winter’s voice boomed in Scarlet’s ears.</p><p>“No!” Scarlet grabbed the pillow beside her and covered her ears with it while crushing her face into another one.</p><p>There was a moment of silence before Winter sighed in defeat, “Fine!”</p><p>Scarlet heard footsteps and then the click of the door shutting. She instantly sat up in her bed, wide awake, only to receive a glass of water in her face. She gasped, water dripping down her chin, and cursed.</p><p>“Winter!” She howled, wiping her face with her sleeve. But it wasn’t Winter who had thrown the glass of water at her face. It was Iko.</p><p>“Hey, Scar, time to get out.” Cinder came to sit beside her at the bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She had known that Winter had arrived at her place the previous night, but when did Iko and Cinder?</p><p>“What is happening?” Scarlet asked, eyes wide.</p><p>“A weekend away!” Iko exclaimed.</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“To get your heartbroken ass out of this house and have a girls’ hangout weekend.” Cinder explained.</p><p>Her breakup with Parker had been epic, and the four of them knew it. Though Scarlet wasn’t the one to dwell on a break-up for long, she and Parker had been dating for <em>four</em> years. Those four years, her life was nothing short of a fairy tale.</p><p>But Parker had to move to another country now, because of his job, and Scarlet could not leave her flourishing family business, so she had to stay in Rieux.</p><p>It had been two weeks since the break-up and all she did was work, eat, sleep and try to not cry. But on weekends, when she takes a break from her job, she would watch romantic movies and cry and cry and cry and cry.</p><p>Though she was better now, she wasn’t completely back to her normal routine, so a weekend away did not sound something fun, even though it came with company of her favourite people in the world.</p><p>“Where are we going?” She asked, huffing.</p><p>Winter attached her port to the speaker system they’d sneaked into her room while Scarlet was asleep and played a song which grasped Scarlet’s attention.</p><p>“Is that our <em>girl power</em> playlist?” Scarlet’s eyes widened, “From high school?”</p><p>“Hell yeah!” Cinder grinned, “Get up now.”</p><p>“Wait, I did <em>not</em> agree to go on this girls’ hangout.” Scarlet narrowed her eyes, while still moving her body with the music. She had only been with her friends for five minutes and already felt happier.</p><p>“Well, we don’t care. It wasn’t a question.” Winter replied, increasing the volume of the song.</p><p>Before she could reply, Iko grabbed her hand and shoved her into the bathroom. Scarlet groaned before turning the shower on.</p><p> </p><p>Scarlet’s jaw dropped, “A private jet?” she gasped.</p><p>“I am the head of government in China, what do you expect, a pick-up truck?”</p><p>“Don’t be stupid Cinder. We can’t go to New York from France using a pick-up truck.” Scarlet deadpanned.</p><p>Iko and Winter burst into laughter and even Cinder smirked.</p><p>They boarded the plane and Winter whooped while ascending the stairs, while Iko was singing one of the songs from the earlier playlist.</p><p>Scarlet sat along Winter, facing Cinder and Iko.</p><p>“Drinks, mademoiselles?” A flight attendant came in, carrying a trolley filled with cocktails, once the plane was in the air.</p><p>“Yeah—” Iko started but Scarlet cut her in.</p><p>“Four champagnes, please.”</p><p>“I was going to order the same thing!” Iko gave her a look, but Cinder elbowed her.</p><p>“Let her use her mouth for something apart from stuffing ice-cream.” She scolded Iko.</p><p>They sipped their champagne and asked the attendant to keep the opened bottle and an extra one on their table, and giggled at themselves when she left.</p><p>“Did you guys appoint someone to look after the farm?” Scarlet asked, not actually worried, because she knew the answer.</p><p>“That is none of your concern.” Winter replied.</p><p>“Not like it’s <em>my</em> farm.” Scarlet muttered, taking a sip of her drink.</p><p>“You know what I mean,” Winter pursed her lips, “This weekend, no concerns.”</p><p>“Whatever.” Scarlet made a ‘W’ with her fingers.</p><p>“So, what all have you guys been up to?” Cinder asked, changing the subject, “Gosh, we hadn’t met since a year.”</p><p>“I know!” Iko exclaimed before smiling excitedly, “You guys, you know what is happening with me?”</p><p>They all raised an eyebrow.</p><p>“I am getting a promotion!” she squealed, “I will be the manager of Shine magazine now and will literally choose each and everything that will be put in it. Can you believe it?”</p><p>All three girls were so happy that they got up and hugged her while congratulating and Scarlet poured them another glass of drink.</p><p>“Cheers!” they clinked their glasses.</p><p>“I remember that one time in high school when I wore magenta sneakers with my red skirt, and Iko freaked so bad, she gave me her red high heels.” Scarlet reminisced.</p><p>“And then you tripped and fell between the two trash can in the school corridor.” Cinder finished and Winter spat out her drink all over Iko to laugh, which made everyone laugh even more. Except for Iko, who sprang to her feet, not angry but very worried.</p><p>“What am I supposed to do now?” Iko panicked.</p><p>“I got you.” Cinder said, “I’ll get you new clothes. I literally have a closet full of clothes on this plane itself, which my ‘fashion advisors’ give me.”</p><p>She got up and pressed the button on the roof to call the flight attendant. By the time she had arrived, Cinder had a small booklet in her lap. She flipped through the pages and requested the attendant to get the rack 801.</p><p>“You have more than 800 racks filled with clothes?” Iko asked, eyes wide.</p><p>“My advisors try to make me wear them. I don’t, though.”</p><p>“Then give them to me!” Iko screamed, her eyes filled with some otherworldly hunger which made Scarlet and Winter laugh, while Cinder tried to squeeze in a corner, as far away from the wild Iko as possible, wearing a puzzled and scared look.</p><p>“Don’t you have enough already?” Winter questioned.</p><p>“You can never have too much of clothes, Winter, you can never have too much of clothes.” Iko preached.</p><p>The attendant returned with the rack filled with all kinds of dresses which could make Iko’s day. Iko looked at it in awe and then turned to Cinder with her jaw dropped. She tried to form words but she couldn’t and just pointed at Cinder first, then at the rack and then back at her. She finally managed to wheeze out, “You don’t know what you’re missing,” before leaping onto that rack.</p><p>After that, the rest of the flight was a fashion show with the girls having tried on each and every piece of cloth on the plane, while they also clicked each-other’s photos. Iko, unsurprisingly, had a different pose for each picture.</p><p>The clicking pictures part reminded Scarlet of Cress and she asked, “Where’s Cress nowadays?” Cress had become a one of the top travel photographers. If anything, the girls could certainly say that they’ve had a successful life and their hard-work paid off.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Iko answered, “You know how she is. All about wanderlust.”</p><p>“I really wish she could accompany us, too,” Winter stated, upset, “I miss her.”</p><p>“Me, too.” The three girls replied simultaneously.</p><p>The ambience seemed to have turned to a rather upset, but soon returned to upbeat one when the jet’s descent was announced and they all strapped their seat belts and started catching up.</p><p>Something told Scarlet that a long, amazing weekend awaited them ahead.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Stop for me!” Cress shouted as loud as she could, which was apparently not loud enough since none of them stopped.</p>
<p>‘Guys, wait!” She ran even faster. Two strangers walking side by side in front of her turned back and she gave them an incredulous look, getting angry now.</p>
<p>“Not you guys!” she shouted at the strangers as she ran past them.</p>
<p>She was panting so much by the time she reached her friends, that she thought it might just be a life-or-death situation. She grabbed Iko’s shoulder to stop herself, but her momentum was too much so Iko fell on the sidewalk.</p>
<p>“Ow!” she cried, rubbing her hip.</p>
<p>“Crescent Moon Darnell, whatever is the matter?” Winter asked in her fake English accent, which she had been practicing for her play.</p>
<p>“You are the matter!” she huffed, “I’ve been shouting on top of my lungs since the past five minutes but you guys wouldn’t hear me.”</p>
<p>“Well clearly you weren’t loud enough.” stated Cinder like it was the most obvious thing on Earth, which angered Cress even more.</p>
<p>“Or maybe you all are just deaf.” She retorted.</p>
<p>“Oh my God, cut it out!” Scarlet interrupted their glaring competition, “Cress, would you please start getting out of the class on time? We waited for you for at least twenty minutes outside the school’s gate, but you didn’t show up.”</p>
<p>“I was right behind you! I even saw you all leaving.” She answered.</p>
<p>“Oh come on, you are always late because you are the last one to leave the class.” Iko said.</p>
<p>“<em>No</em>, I am always late because I go meet Mrs Carmichael to show her my latest photos.” Cress replied.</p>
<p>“Okay! It’s fine, let’s forget it.” Winter said, snapping out of her poor English accent.</p>
<p>They started walking back home, chatting and laughing as if they weren’t fighting a minute ago.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Out of my way!” Cress screamed.</p>
<p>She sprinted down the escalator to the area where all the taxis were parked. Her flight had been delayed and she reached the New York airport an hour late. Cinder, Winter and Iko’s plan would be ruined if the taxi driver didn’t drive at the speed of light.</p>
<p>She got in the taxi and barked the address. Thankfully, the driver started driving the instant she had shut the door and was going at a pretty high speed.</p>
<p>Right now, even breaking the traffic rules wouldn’t matter if she got to the fountain on time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>The fountain. </em>
</p>
<p>The place the five friends had met for the first time. The fountain was a not very famous place near their school, where Cress had always preferred to go take photographs. The nature there was perfect to try new angles.</p>
<p>One day, when she was around ten years old and clicking the pictures of vibrant coloured flowers surrounding the fountain, she heard muffled sobs.</p>
<p>Hanging the camera on her neck, she walked around to the other side of the fountain to find a dark skinned girl sobbing with pink expensive heels in her hand.</p>
<p>Cress sat next to her and hugged her without speaking a word. The girl’s eyes widened and she jerked her face upward to look at Cress.</p>
<p>“Hey.” Cress said awkwardly.</p>
<p>The girl wiped off her tears and brushed her blue braids back. Sniffing she replied, “Hey.”</p>
<p>“You alright?” Cress asked, knowing that she was sounding stupid. Of course this girl wasn’t alright.</p>
<p>The girl got up and started, “No, I am not. My pink heels broke today because of a really mean girl, who had the same shoes as mine. She broke my pair of shoes so that she could wear hers. I saved so much money for these for so long, and the first day I wear them, that girl ruins them.” She started panting for breath.</p>
<p>Cress’s eyes widened and she looked down at her hand to see that, indeed, the heel was broken and was hanging off of the shoe. She felt sorry for the girl because they looked really expensive.</p>
<p>“What’s your name?” Cress asked.</p>
<p>“Iko.” She replied, sniffing.</p>
<p>“Well, maybe we could buy you a new pair?”</p>
<p>“These were very expensive and now I have no money to buy any.”</p>
<p>“Well, I’ll buy you a pair.”</p>
<p>“You will? No, I couldn’t ask that of you—”</p>
<p>“Please, no, I insist.”</p>
<p>She hesitated before agreeing and they left for a nearby shopping complex. Iko and Cress had very much the same taste in fashion and it didn’t take long for them to become friends. They started meeting at the fountain after school often, and one day, Iko even brought a friend with her named Cinder and all three of them had become thick as thieves soon.</p>
<p>A few weeks later, while strolling in the park surrounding the fountain, they came across two girls. One was singing some nursery rhyme on top of her lungs and the other had her hands pressed to her ears, grimacing.</p>
<p>“Oh my God, stop!” the second red-haired girl shouted, “Before my ears start bleeding.”</p>
<p>The girl who was singing started giggling so much, she fell into the fountain behind her. Getting up, she continued giggling, drenched in water.</p>
<p>Cinder, Iko and Cress rushed to help her get out of the fountain, but the girl started splashing water on all of them, still giggling.</p>
<p>“Stop!” Cinder shouted. The girl, to their utter shock, <em>did</em> stop.</p>
<p>The red-haired girl’s eyes widened, “How on Earth did you do that?” she asked.</p>
<p>“I don’t know.” Cinder shrugged.</p>
<p>The red-haired girl introduced herself as Scarlet and the other as Winter. The two girls started strolling with the other three and soon they had joined the group of friends.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Looking back, it felt like centuries had passed since then. They had all grown up, were now successful. Their whole childhood and teenage had been spent together and Cress couldn’t remember a time she wasn’t with them. Even in separate college, they wouldn’t go more than a week without calling each-other.</p>
<p>But after college and Cinder’s election, they hadn’t even called each-other. It was mostly random one or two messages saying ‘I miss you’ once or twice a month, though not even a day passed without Cress thinking about them.</p>
<p>She paid the taxi driver and reached the fountain, hauling her belongings behind the bushes in the periphery. Keeping them in a safe place where she was pretty sure no one would steal them, she took out her camera and started walking towards the fountain just in time to see the rest of her friends enter from the other side of the fountain.</p>
<p>She hid behind a tree and kept an eye on them till the time Scarlet was sitting on the fountain’s edge. Cress was so excited that she could hear her heart beat. There was even a little nostalgia, visiting a place where she had spent her whole childhood and hadn’t returned to since what must be ten years.</p>
<p>When Winter and Cinder turned their head towards the tree she was seeking refuge behind, she knew it was time.</p>
<p>Creeping out of the tree’s shadow, she sneaked up to them and patted Scarlet on her shoulder. Scarlet turned her head and Cress said, grinning, “A picture, mademoiselle?” Before clicking a picture of hers with the flash on.</p>
<p>Scarlet yelped in pain as the flash shown in her eyes and rubbed them, howling, “Cress!”</p>
<p>Everyone burst into laughter and when Scarlet’s eyes had adjusted to the normal lighting, Cress hugged her. Scarlet, too, didn’t hesitate to hug her back.</p>
<p>“But I thought you were busy with work.” Scarlet said when they all sat down on a patch of grass in a circle after meeting Cress.</p>
<p>“Well, work can wait. I wasn’t going to miss a weekend away with my best friends.” She answered, taking a sip of the coffee they had brought with them in a canister.</p>
<p>“Well, good that you came.” Scarlet squeezed Cress’s hand, who smiled back.</p>
<p>“Wait, where’s your luggage?” Iko asked, “Don’t tell me you left it at the airport.”</p>
<p>“No I didn’t, I hid them behind the bush. Let me go get it.” She got up and walked towards the bush. But what was waiting for her made her jaw drop.</p>
<p>“Uh, guys?” she shouted. They turned towards her and it didn’t take long for them to realize that something was wrong. They came to stand beside her, looking at the place her luggage was supposed to be with taken aback expressions.</p>
<p>Supposed to be, because her luggage wasn’t there.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Why does this always happen to me?” Cress exclaimed, clearly panicking, “For what sins am I being punished for?”</p><p>“The only possible sin you’ve committed, is being the total klutz you are." Iko reassured her.</p><p>“Never mind,” Scarlet shook her head, huffing, “Let’s just look for the luggage behind the bushes right now.”</p><p>Everyone nodded and took up a direction to search for the lost baggage. After a few minutes, Cinder’s voice reached Winter’s ears and she turned towards her.</p><p>“Crescent Moon Darnell,” people called Cress by her full name quite a lot, “I suppose you entered from <em>this</em> gate, instead of that one?” Cinder pointed at the gate she was standing near, and then at the gate Cress had taken them to.</p><p>Cress’s eyes widened and her cheeks turned red. Cinder dragged her luggage out of the bush and dumped it near her legs.</p><p>Winter, and the rest of them, walked up to her and gave her a cynical look. Returning a bashful grin, Cress picked up her handbag, grabbed her suitcase’s handle and said, “Come on, we don’t want to spend the whole day here, do we?”</p><p>They all nodded and exited the garden. But the moment they stepped out, everyone except for Cinder and Winter were taken aback by the three layered circle of bodyguards surrounding the fountain and the park.</p><p>“What—What is this?” Scarlet exclaimed, eyes wide.</p><p>“These, my dear Scarlet friend, are bodyguards to ensure the security of head of the government of China <em>and</em> her advisor, the latter being me.” Winter explained, very amused.</p><p>“We know that you’re her advisor, but there are around fifty bodyguards here!” Iko declared.</p><p>“No, Iko. They’re not bodyguards. They are soldiers. From the Chinese army.” Cinder corrected her, trying hard to not smile.</p><p>“Don’t tell me they will follow us everywhere.” Scarlet warned.</p><p>“I am sorry, but that’s how the life is for the friends of the head of China.” Cinder shrugged and walked past them to sit in the backseat of her private limousine. Winter followed her and turned back at them, standing near the door. She waved at them and shouted, “Come on!”</p><p>After snapping out of their shock, the girls came up to sit in the car, even though they were still very perturbed with twenty cars of <em>Chinese</em> <em>soldiers</em> following them all through the streets of New York.</p><p>“Hey, Cress,” Iko sparked a conversation when they had all settled in the car comfortably, “Did you hear about my promotion?”</p><p>“Oh yes, I did!” Cress said excitedly, “I read it in the newspaper in Italy since you’ll be moving there now, right? I guess the Shine magazine’s from Italy itself.”</p><p>“Yes, I will be.”</p><p>“You failed to mention that on the plane!” Cinder pointed out, “Italy is amazing. It’s one of the most fashionable countries in the world.”</p><p>“I know!” Iko shrieked excitedly, “I am so excited.”</p><p>“I am so proud of you!” Cress said, hugging her.</p><p>“We want a party!” Winter joined.</p><p>“Okay, okay. You’ll get your party.” Iko shot her hands up in surrender, “In fact, I was invited to one this evening. It’s coincidentally in New York itself. All the top fashion designers and other prized media magnets would be there. I cancelled my plans at the last minute for this hangout weekend, but you guys can totally come!”</p><p>“Uh, I don’t know, are extra people allowed?” Scarlet asked.</p><p>Iko hummed and then said, “I can bring with me one extra person, but well, Cinder and Winter were invited too, weren’t they?”</p><p>“You were?” Scarlet and Cress turned to both of them, and Winter couldn’t help but duck a little to avoid everyone’s attention on her.</p><p>“Yes, we were,” Cinder replied, “But we weren’t planning to go. Though, if you want to, we can go.”</p><p>“Oh my God, of <em>course</em> we want to!” Cress leapt to her feet. Fortunately, being the small heighted girl she is, her head only brushed with the roof of the car, rather than bumping with it.</p><p>“Scarlet-friend,” Winter said, holding a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Are you ready to party?”</p><p>Scarlet pondered over Winter’s question while everyone’s eager eyes turned to her. She hummed to make it look dramatic and then concluded, “Okay.”</p><p>“Yay, party!” Iko gave a little dance in her seat and everyone laughed.</p><p>“So, what’s our next destination?” Scarlet asked, a smile still playing on her lips.</p><p>“Winter’s house!” Cinder announced.</p><p>Winter’s eyes widened and dread filled her up.</p><p>“What? My house? But I haven’t been there since—” she stopped abruptly and shrank in her seat as the visions bombarded her sight.</p><p>She hadn’t been there since her parents had been murdered there. Winter still remembered that day vividly. She had been called in by the principal in her college, just to be informed that her parents were no more and she will be going back to her house and staying there for as long as she needed to. It had taken her a lot of time to believe it, and when she did, she was determined to solve her parents’ murder mystery. After many months, finally it was found and proved that they had been killed by one of the woman in her father’s working place, who apparently, was in love with him.</p><p>But since Winter’s father was not attracted towards that woman, he gently refused. But she couldn’t digest that, so she sought out to kill his wife in secret, hoping he would surely fall in love with her then.</p><p>But Winter’s father saw the murder happen by his own eyes. Not able to digest the loss of the woman he loved so dearly, he committed suicide.</p><p>Yes, Winter <em>did</em> sometimes feel bad that her father didn’t, even for a second, think about her, but she knew how much her father loved her mother. So even after everything, she could never bring herself to hate her father.</p><p>But she despised the woman, who took away everything from her. And even though it wasn’t in her nature, Winter had given that woman a very smug and satisfied smile of triumph when she was being dragged away to the jail by the police.</p><p>Since then, she would always visualize the state of her house when she had entered it to find her parents dead. To find it being surrounded by yellow tape, marking it as a place where a crime was committed.</p><p>
  <em>To find the walls covered with her parents’ blood, as if they were bleeding.</em>
</p><p>So when Cinder said that it was her place they were going to, she couldn’t help fearing the visit.</p><p>“I know about your feelings towards that place, Winter,” Cinder said soothingly, “But I thought we should go there because most of the time, that would be the place where we would gather during our childhood.”</p><p>Winter kept her face neutral, processing it. Cinder was right, they <em>had</em> spent most of their childhood there with her. She had the biggest house among the five friends then, since her mother was one of the top designers of her time, who owned the fashion line who made clothes for celebrities all over the world.</p><p>It was a shame she died such a death.</p><p>But it would simply be wrong for Winter to still be in that cage and not face the reality. It would wrong for her to not go on and accept the fact that her parents lived in that house for most of their life with her and then they died without being able to even wish her farewell.</p><p>She had to accept that house and cherish her childhood memories with them, rather than regretting the time she couldn’t spend with them.</p><p>After a moment’s hesitation, she declared, “Well then, my place it is!”</p><p>The tension in the immediately eased and all of them relaxed, bringing up other topics to chat about.</p><p>Winter still did fear going down that road, but she knew she had to get over it. That she had to break these walls she had surrounded herself with.</p><p>That she <em>had</em> to be brave and conquer her fears, until there weren’t any left. So she will surmount them.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A tall, white, Victorian style house with four storeys and a huge garden surrounding it stood before them. <em>Winter’s</em> house stood before them.</p><p>She gaped up at it and couldn’t help revisiting her memory of when she had returned from college, still in shock. She couldn’t help travelling down that path again, visualizing the yellow tape surrounding her beautiful house. Even though the house had all been cleaned up, she couldn’t help viewing the white elegant walls painted blood red.</p><p>She gaped up at it and felt her body sway. Her friends rushed to her side to stable her and she gulped.</p><p>“I—I’m fine.” She stammered out, standing upright on her own feet. She started walking and crossed the garden which was still surrounded by beautiful, vibrant coloured flowers. She entered the house and stood on the threshold, looking at the white stairs leading up to the hallways of the first, second and third floors. Her eyes examined the elegant black sofa set and the roses set finely on the coffee table in between.</p><p>She looked at the expensive art her parents had chosen when they were alive; she took of her shoes and felt the plush carpet with her feet where she would dance barefoot. </p><p>Without thinking, she headed up to the first floor of the house. Her black heels contrasted with the white stairs and made <em>tip-tap</em> sound. Winter knew that it was Cinder who had gotten the house cleaned in time because she was the one who had planned this whole weekend.</p><p>She turned to the left and then took another left after a few steps and entered the first room, switching on the soft yellow lights. It was a grand room, the biggest one in the house.</p><p>It used to be her parents’ room.</p><p>The bed rested in the centre with the cushioned headboard and a wooden platform was attached to it where her family photos were still kept. The ones Winter didn’t have the courage to carry with her, because they made her miss her parents too much.</p><p>Winter sat down on the bed and felt her parents’ bed-sheets. She wanted to touch each and every possession of theirs, just so that she could feel any semblance of their presence.</p><p>“Her designs,” Iko whispered, standing near one of the tables in the room. There were some papers arranged there in a stack which she had disrupted to view the designs, “beautiful.”</p><p>“His travel scrapbook,” Cress muttered from the other end of the room, flipping through pages of a book with a lot of sticky notes sticking out of the pages, “he’d clicked the pictures himself. Amazing.”</p><p>“A manuscript of her book,” Cinder held a few pages from the novel Winter’s mother was writing. Winter remembered how Cinder was so excited about it because it was about her time as the leader of a whole fashion brand and how it became such a successful one, “She was still writing.”</p><p>“Hey, where’s Scar?” Cress asked, snapping everyone out of their haze.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Iko answered, “She got out of the car after me, but I guess she didn’t follow us inside.”</p><p>“I’ll go check.” Winter said, hurrying outside. She descended the steps and came into the garden to find Scarlet kneeling near a huge patch of grass with a few left over wilting plants.</p><p>“His garden, the vegetables he used to grow,” Scarlet’s fingers grazed the grass, “all ruined.”</p><p>Meanwhile, the other girls had also joined them and Scarlet got up to her feet and sighed.</p><p>There was a moment of silence and then Cress wondered aloud, “What’s the time?”</p><p>Cinder looked at her watch and replied, “It’s six.”</p><p>“Already?” Iko said, eyes widening, “The party is at eight.”</p><p>“We should get ready then, if the party is a little far from here.” Cress suggested.</p><p>“Well, yea! It’s all the way at the Upper East Side.”</p><p>“Oh my God, you weren’t joking about the media magnets,” Scarlet said, “But wait, we don’t have any dresses.”</p><p>“We have Cinder,” Iko said excitedly, “her fashion designers have sent racks of clothes. Remember?”</p><p>“Oh yea, right. Come on, then.”</p><p>The girls headed towards the rooms Cinder had gotten cleaned for the weekend. Unsurprisingly, the racks were already present there which Cinder must have asked to be brought.</p><p>Sighing, Iko clasped her hands below her chin.</p><p>“You are a sight for sour eyes!” she said, running toward the racks and grazing the dresses’ skirts and bodices. Then she turned towards the girls and examined them.</p><p>“Hmm, okay!” she exclaimed, “Time to make you girls beautiful.” She clapped her hands and started surfing through the clothes hanging off the racks.</p><p>When she exited the bathroom, it was the first time Winter <em>felt</em> pretty. Wearing the wonderful white silk dress—which, though had a very long V-neck showing a little too much of cleavage, had golden butterflies embroidered in a cluster in the middle of her waist and then dispersed to the sides—she felt even beautiful, maybe.</p><p>Scarlet, who was posing in her dark red sleeveless plain dress with flowers embroidered on its neck and end and a white belt around her waist, froze at the sight of her.</p><p>Cress, too, froze when her gaze landed on Winter. Cinder wasn’t in a very different situation, either.</p><p>It was Iko, though, who hummed and looked at her cynically. After a few more moments of hesitation, Iko concluded, “You look good.” And Winter exhaled.</p><p>Cress walked up to sit beside Cinder on the bed, her shimmering lavender, halter-necked, slit dress swaying around her, hugging her figure perfectly. Sitting down, she sighed and said, “Now, it’s only Cinder and Iko who are left. You do realize that you both are the ones who’ll get us in?”</p><p>“Duh, of course we do,” Iko answered, a pin between her teeth as she pulled Scarlet’s hair in bun while letting a few curls free to frame her face, “I have my dress all prepared. I just need to wear it.”</p><p>She put the pin in Scarlet’s hair and turned, brushing her hands. Then, she walked up to the closet in the bedroom and pulled out a turquoise satin V-necked dress with flowers embroidered on her shoulders to her chest and waist and folds on the side of her skirt.</p><p>Cress gasped when she saw it and ran towards Iko, taking the dress from her hands and feeling it.</p><p>“This,” she gasped out, “is what true beauty is.”</p><p>“I know, Cress,” Iko replied in a grave voice, grazing the dress with her fingers as if it was the most precious and fragile thing on the Earth, “I know.”</p><p>Cinder rolled her eyes and protested for Iko to go change.</p><p>“No, not until I have your dress ready and find you in it.” She said, “Fortunately, I already decided what you will be wearing.” She pulled out another dress from that closet which was also slit and sleeveless, black coloured dress with a golden belt and net from her neck to the starting of her chest, showing a little cleavage.</p><p>“It’s perfect!” Cinder exclaimed, “Plain, simple and regal.”</p><p>“Of course it’s perfect, I chose it.” Iko scoffed, “Now, go change!”</p><p>So, finally, the girls were looking fabulous in their dresses around seven thirty and finally got into the car.</p><p>“Who’s ready to party!” Iko shouted excitedly once they were all settled.</p><p>“We are!” The girls shouted back, their voices roaring above the sound of the car’s engine starting.</p><p>They were <em>so</em> ready to party.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cinder exited the car and stepped on the curb. She gazed up at the New York Palace Hotel’s building and took a deep breath.</p><p>She always despised these gatherings. People would always be circling her like a swarm of bees to ask her ridiculous questions which she didn’t know the answer to. They needed to cognize that Cinder became the Head of China to make the country progress from better to best, not for some hectic party schedule and pretty dresses from expensive designers.</p><p>They all entered the lobby and it hardly took the paparazzi a second to realize it was <em>the</em> Linh Cinder with her advisor, <em>the</em> Winter Hayle and <em>the</em> Iko from the Shine magazine. And nor did it take much time for them to encircle not only those three, but also Scarlet and Cress.</p><p>“Hmm, bold choice there,” said one reporter while looking at Scarlet, “wearing such plain clothes to a party which celebrities attend.”</p><p>“Everybody!” Winter’s voice boomed in the hall, “Back off and let Linh Cinder go attend the gathering.”</p><p>Winter had a reputation for being ferocious all around the globe due to a certain incident, so the herd of paparazzi disintegrated in a minute.</p><p>Cress breathed a sigh of relief, “I thought I was going to get a heart attack!”</p><p>“What the hell did he mean by ‘plain clothes’?” Scarlet growled, glowering at the reporter’s back, “These cost more than his camera.”</p><p>“Well, Scarlet, I did suggest more lively clothes, but never mind. Obviously, you are more interested in shaming my fashion style.” Iko answered before heading towards the elevator, chin held high.</p><p>“Where’s the party?” Cress asked to change the subject.</p><p>“In the basement.” Winter replied.</p><p>“Come on!” Iko shouted from the elevator angrily. They all hurried to get in and then the elevator was descending. Cinder took a deep breath once again before the doors opened and murmured, “I got this.”</p><p> </p><p>It had been almost half an hour since they’d been in the party and the amount of people approaching Cinder had been remarkably low, which she was glad about. Maybe it was because Winter was always near her, within a distance of five feet, eyeing anyone who came to talk to Cinder.</p><p>“The food here is amazing!” Cress moaned while stuffing her face, “What are these?”</p><p>All four girls eyed her with amusement, trying very hard to not laugh.</p><p>“Cress,” Scarlet said, trying to refrain from laughing, “What did the label read?”</p><p>“Escargots and foie-gras.” Cress replied innocently.</p><p>“And do you know what escargots mean?”</p><p>“They’re some non-vegetarian French delicacy, right?”</p><p>“Cress, dear,” Scarlet hesitated dramatically, “Escargots is French for snails.”</p><p>“And foie-gras is—goose liver” Cinder added.</p><p>All the girls burst into laughter when they saw Cress’s horrified expression.</p><p>“Oh my God!” she gasped, “And it was too much work for you guys to tell me that before I devoured a whole plate of them.”</p><p>“Well, if we had told you, we would’ve missed this expression.” Cinder gasped out.</p><p>“Come on,” Iko said after everyone had calmed down a little, “Let’s go have a photo session before our make-up gets ruined even more.” She swung an arm around Cress who looked at her with a little cheered-up eyes.</p><p>“What do you mean by make-up? We didn’t <em>do</em> any make-up.” Cinder scrutinized Iko.</p><p>“It was an expression, Cinder.”</p><p>“Which you came up with just now.”</p><p>She just waved her hand at her as Cinder was no more than some lowly peasant and grabbed Winter and Cress before hauling them towards the chocolate fountain.</p><p>“Wait, guys!” Scarlet ran behind them, “I want pictures too!”</p><p>Cinder just shrugged before joining Scarlet.</p><p>They got their pictures clicked in front of the beautiful, vibrantly coloured flowers, the murals drawn on the walls and even in front of the expensive curtains. The girls giggled all the time, especially when they got their pictures clicked while dipping the strawberry in the chocolate fountain. When they viewed the picture, they saw a group of middle aged men and women eyeing them infuriatedly, as if the girls were some group of wild animals, and they laughed even louder and harder.</p><p>So hard that Iko bumped into Scarlet who bumped into Winter who toppled the chocolate fountain, which sent the whole buffet collapsing.</p><p>In a matter of few seconds, the whole buffet tables were covered with spilled expensive food and everyone was glaring at the five girls ferociously for ruining their dinner.</p><p>“Uh-oh” Scarlet muttered, “There go the hors d’oeuvres.” This made all the girls burst into laughter again.</p><p>“Oh my God!” Cinder gasped out between laughs, “I think it’s time for us to leave.”</p><p>“You think?” Iko wheezed out and they all exited the Palace.</p><p> </p><p>They reached Winter’s house and all of them retired to their own rooms to change into their night suits.</p><p>When Cinder had changed, she went exploring the mansion. She grazed the walls with her fingers, remembering the time the five girls and Winter’s mother would chat for hours.</p><p>They could talk about anything with her, all their problems, be it regarding academics, rivalries with fellow classmates or even some boy problems, though that was more of Iko and Cress’s section.</p><p>In fact, all four of them were so shocked when Scarlet had told them that she’d found a boy human enough for her to date, that they had taken leaves from their respective colleges, after a lot of hue and cry, just to meet the guy.</p><p>It was a shame that Parker had to leave.</p><p>“Cinder!” Winter’s voice reached her ears and Cinder jerked her head towards her, “Come on, I have something to show you all.”</p><p>She joined the rest of the girls and looked at Cress questioningly, who just shrugged.</p><p>They descended the stairs and exited the building to go to the garden behind Winter’s house. A small, shallow lake passed through the grass and it was very easy to cross.</p><p>They followed Winter and crossed the lake. Cinder remembered doing it many times in her childhood, but she just could not put her finger at the purpose for which the lake was traversed so often.</p><p>She didn’t remember it until the tree-house was right in front of them and a gasp escaped Cinder’s lips. She gazed up at their tree-house which was like a second house to them during their childhood.</p><p>“Wait,” Cress held up a finger, “wait for it.”</p><p>Cinder eyes were still wide open as she looked around her, trying to recall what Cress was talking about.</p><p>After a few minutes, yellow lights flew everywhere and the five girls gazed adoringly around them. Fireflies, in thousands, lit up the rich green grass, complimenting the newly grown flowers, making it all a very picturesque view.</p><p>And, of course, since it was all so picturesque, Cress ran to the house to get her camera. After that, they clicked a lot of pictures yet again and then they all just lied down on the grass side by side in a circle, gazing up at the gloomy night sky, lit up with dazzling stars, in silence.</p><p>Cress inhaled a long breath and said, “I am so making a scrapbook of this trip. I don’t know when we’ll meet like this again.”</p><p>“We’ll need five separate scrapbooks.” Iko suggested.         </p><p>“So be it.” Cinder replied, “I can’t let the feel of this moment go.”</p><p>They all fell silent again before Scarlet murmured, “I missed you guys.” It was followed by the sound of her sniffing.</p><p>“Me too.” Winter said, wiping off her tears with the back of her hands. The other three girls followed too.</p><p>“I think I’m going to set camp in the tree-house tonight.” Scarlet voiced her thoughts.</p><p>“Me too.” All the girls said simultaneously and then grinned.</p><p> </p><p>And in that moment, Cinder felt as if she had been reunited with some part of her soul.</p><p>That she was whole again.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Coffee!” Cress’s muffled voice reached Iko’s ears, “I need coffee.”</p><p>Iko woke up, though she was still half asleep. The girls had slept together in the tree-house and may God bless the workers Cinder had sent to clean the mansion. They were generous enough to clean the tree house before-hand too.</p><p>But, apparently, the girls weren’t used to sleeping with other people anymore so Cinder’s head rested on Iko’s lower back and Cress was lying slanting, her feet resting between Iko’s shoulder blades. Iko herself was sleeping with her head where her feet were supposed to be.</p><p>“What mountains did you move so as to you are in such a grave need of coffee, sweet Crescent Moon Darnell?” Scarlet teased her.</p><p>“You aren’t even fully awake.” Cinder joined, “Nor am I. Nighty night everyone.”</p><p>“Cinder, get up!” Scarlet ordered, but Winter hushed her. How the hell did both of them wake up so early on their own?</p><p>“She hasn’t had a good night’s sleep since months. Let her sleep a little more.” Winter said.</p><p>“She’s had eight hours of sleep, which is enough. The princesses need to get up.”</p><p>Scarlet circled around Cress and started to shake Cinder.</p><p>“Get the hell up!” She scolded but Cinder didn’t budge. Finally, Scarlet huffed and started tickling Cinder, who started thrashing her hands and legs in every direction, laughing, while Scarlet dodged them. One of her arms hit Iko on the back of her head and she yowled.</p><p>“Cinder!” She exclaimed. But Cinder was wholly awake now and was gazing at her mischievously and it didn’t take long for Iko to realize her intention.</p><p>“No, no, no!” she protested but Cinder pounced at her and started tickling her too. Scarlet looked at Winter, who shrugged, and then both of them united with Cinder to  tickle Iko mercilessly while she rolled on the ground with tears in her eyes.</p><p>Iko opened her eyes a little and observed movement near her left and turned to spot Cress trying to escape.</p><p>“Cress is escaping!” Iko shouted, trying to distract them, which worked.</p><p>“Trying,” Scarlet said with a dangerous glint in her eyes, “trying to escape; because she’s going to fail.”</p><p>Cress had frozen the moment Iko had directed the attention towards her and she turned. The four girls circled her and she yelped.</p><p>“Uh-oh”</p><p>And then, the girls attacked like hungry wild animals. They tickled Cress cruelly.</p><p>After some time, Cress started returning the favour and then all of them had turned against each-other.</p><p>Finally, when they all had called upon a truce, they settled back and wiped off their tears, smiling and breathing heavily.</p><p>“I really need coffee,” Cress decared solemnly, getting up, “I am going to the kitchen inside.”</p><p>“What do you need coffee for?” Scarlet asked, looking at her incredulously.</p><p>“Well, being a travel photographer means travelling all the time, so my body has to adapt to different time zones and as a result, I have become a caffeine addict.”</p><p>Scarlet clicked her tongue, “Poor girl. That’s bad for you, you know that right?”</p><p>“I do, but I’m helpless.”</p><p>“I need coffee too,” Cinder said, climbing to her feet besides Cress, “I have to make some important phone calls.”</p><p>“I took care of it.” Winter assured her.</p><p>“Oh wow, thanks. Well, in that case, I need to go bathe.”</p><p>“Have you two taken a bath?” Iko asked Winter and Scarlet. Both of them nodded.</p><p>“Well, then, I guess it’s just us three foul-smelling pigeons who need to become decent.” Cinder shrugged.</p><p>“Oh please, everyone knows that I’m a foul-smelling peacock.” Iko said, keeping her chin high and they all giggled.</p><p>“Yes, my queen.” Cinder said, grabbing Iko’s hand and make her stand up, “Come on.”</p><p> </p><p>The butter melted in Iko’s mouth, the taste mixing with that of the maple syrup, whipped cream and pancake batter. She moaned while chewing it.</p><p>“Where did you learn to make such amazing pancakes?” She inquired in wonder.</p><p>“I always made amazing pancakes,” Scarlet smirked, “You know that.”</p><p>“I surely do.” She muttered, taking another bite.</p><p>“Is this what love feels like?” Cress asked.</p><p>“More like stardust.” Cinder replied.</p><p>“Oh, shut up.” Scarlet waved a hand, blushing and Winter gasped, “We made her blush!” And the girls cheered while Scarlet’s cheeks reddened even more.</p><p>“You guys are cruel.” She narrowed her eyes at them, smiling. “So,” she continued, “Where are we headed to today?”</p><p>Cinder gulped, “I kept this day free. So, I don’t know.”</p><p>“I know!” Iko exclaimed, “Shopping.”</p><p>Cress clapped and said, “Iko, you always speak my mind.”</p><p>“I know!”</p><p>Scarlet hummed, “Well, I could use some hours of shopping.”</p><p>So after breakfast, the girls left the house, and Iko was more than ready to shop.</p><p>They reached the mall and shopped for shoes, clothes, hairbands, taking anything and everything they found and liked.</p><p>In one of the stores, Cress gathered some dresses and went in the changing room to try them out while the girls waited outside for her, since they’d all tried their clothes.</p><p>But then, a song started playing and Scarlet’s eyes widened. Her face paled and she went to a corner of the waiting room outside the trying rooms and sat down on a stool with her head in her hands.</p><p>“Oh my God,” Iko gasped, “What happened?”</p><p>And then she heard the song being played in the store. It was Scarlet and Parker’s song, to which they had danced and kissed for the first time. Iko remembered how Scarlet hadn’t stopped talking about the significance of the song and the dance and the kiss for more than a month, and even later on, she’d bring it up many times.</p><p>She heard Scarlet’s sobs and sat beside her to hug her. She pealed her hands off her face and said gently, “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”</p><p>The girls left their clothes, grabbed Cress and exited the store.</p><p>“Ice-cream time!” Winter announced a bit too unenthusiastically, and they headed towards the nearest ice cream counter. Scarlet downed some water and they all feasted on their ice creams.</p><p>“Scarlet,” Cinder spoke gently when they were all seated around a circular table, “I know it’s hard and I’m sorry for the break-up, but you’ll have to get over him.”</p><p>“Harsh!” Iko scowled at Cinder.</p><p>“Hey, I am trying my best.”</p><p>“Nobody asked you to help her deal with boy problems,” Iko scolded her and then turned towards Scarlet, “Take your time, Scar. It’s bad now, but it’ll become better later on. I know it hurts, but it’ll soon be over.”</p><p>“Thanks.” Scarlet smiled weakly, sniffing.</p><p>“Brain freeze!” Cress screamed, shaking her head aggressively, her short blond hair flying all around her head and the girls burst into laughter looking at her.</p><p>“You know what?” Scarlet said, “I think I’m over him. I have got you guys and I’ve got me. I am over Parker.”</p><p>“Yes!” Winter high-fived Scarlet.</p><p>“Well,” Cinder smiled, “I’m happy for you then.”</p><p>“Now that that’s done,” Cress started, “Is there any store left for us to shop at?”</p><p>“We have been here since six hours, continuously shopping. What do you think?” Cinder gave her a look.</p><p>“I think the answer is no.” Cress said sheepishly.</p><p>“If that’s the case then I think it’s time for us to leave.” Scarlet suggested.</p><p>“Please let’s go home,” Winter pleaded, “My feet are numb.”</p><p>“Okay!”</p><p> </p><p>They reached the home and spent rest of the evening chatting some more and munching on snacks and made the scrapbooks they had planned to make.</p><p>It was now time to go back home. The girls sighed half-heartedly and went to their rooms to start packing. They boarded the private jet and Cress was, apparently, not shocked.</p><p>“We are travelling with Cinder, what else do you expect?” She said and Cinder smirked, wearing her sunglasses.</p><p>The journey back to France was uneventful, spent talking and giggling and when the plane landed, they all sighed again. They descended the plane with Iko being the first, whose feet froze when she saw the person standing before her.</p><p>Since she stopped so abruptly, Winter collided with her and they both fell. She yelped, rubbing her hip.</p><p>“Iko—” Winter stopped when she noticed the dark haired man with blue eyes.</p><p>“Parker?” Scarlet’s questioned, her eyes wide.</p><p>“Scarlet.” He said, his voice coarse, “Hi.”</p><p>“Hey,” She replied, frowning, “What are you doing here?”</p><p>He gulped and then started speaking all at once, “I won’t beat around the bush, I miss you Scarlet. I want us to get back together. I’ll leave work and even move back here. But I need to be with you.” He inhaled.</p><p>“Calm down, TGV train.” Cinder muttered and Winter tried not to laugh.</p><p>“Parker, I know that this is hard. It was hard for me too, but we need to think rationally and move on.” Scarlet said, “We have our whole futures before us. College’s over now. We have to move on.”</p><p>Parker looked at her and then nodded slightly. He huffed and then spoke.</p><p>“You’re right.”</p><p>And with that, he left.</p><p>“Wow, you were fast.” Iko complimented Scarlet after he had left.</p><p>“Well, I told you. I’m over him.” She smiled and then continued, “I’ll miss you guys.”</p><p>“We will miss you too.” Cinder replied.</p><p>There was a moment of silence which was interrupted by Iko.</p><p>“Hey, why so sad? We’ll meet again.”</p><p>“Yes,” Cress nodded, “Yes we will.”</p><p>“Group hug!” Winter exclaimed and they all hugged. And that was when each of them knew that they were soul mates.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is it for this fanfic. This was the first time I wrote a multi-chapter fanfic and I hope I could catch the essence of the Rampion Crew girls' friendship. I hope you enjoyed reading it, thank you!</p>
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